frigid

adjective

frig·​id ˈfri-jəd 

1

a

: intensely cold

frigid water

b

: lacking warmth or ardor : indifferent

had an emotionally frigid father

2

: lacking imaginative qualities : insipid

writing precise and frigid poetry

3

: experiencing diminished or absent sexual desire or response

—used especially of a woman

frigidly adverb

frigidness noun

Synonyms of frigid

• icy
• chilly
• cold
• freezing
• chill
• cool

Examples of frigid in a Sentence

The frigid gusts of wind stung their faces.

She was born into an emotionally frigid family.

Recent Examples on the Web

As frigid weather sets in, the number of emergency cold weather beds for unhoused individuals in Kansas City has more than doubled this year, rising by nearly 500 beds, according to the city’s houseless prevention coordinator. —Kansas City Star, 3 Dec. 2025

Sometimes utilities order rolling blackouts to ease pressure on the grid, like the Christmas Eve outages in 2022, when frigid temperatures and surging demand left more than 100,000 Duke Energy customers in the Charlotte area without electricity, The Charlotte Observer reported. —Evan Moore december 3, Charlotte Observer, 3 Dec. 2025

Michigan is home to more than 40 ski and snowboarding areas across the Upper and Lower peninsulas, the second-highest number in the country, Pure Michigan noted, and the typical Michigan winter provides frigid temperatures and plenty of snow. —Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 3 Dec. 2025

Expect sunny skies Thursday but frigid weather with a high around 15 and some wind. —Steven Martinez, jsonline.com, 2 Dec. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Latin frigidus, from frigēre to be cold; akin to Latin frigus frost, cold, Greek rhigos

First Known Use

1619, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing frigid

• frigid zone

Rhymes for frigid

• rigid

Kids Definition

frigid

adjective

frig·​id ˈfrij-əd 

1

: freezing cold

2

: not friendly

a frigid stare

frigidity

frij-ˈid-ət-ē

noun

frigidly

ˈfrij-əd-lē

adverb

frigidness noun

Medical Definition

frigid

adjective

frig·​id ˈfrij-əd 

1

: lacking sexual desire : abnormally averse to sexual intercourse

—used especially of women

2

of a female : unable to achieve orgasm during sexual intercourse